DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Hector Palma has been fined $3,000 and suspended seven days after one of his starters tested in excess of the permitted level of the tranquilizer acepromazine at Santa Anita in May, according to a ruling issued on Sunday by Del Mar stewards.

Palma, 79, was suspended 30 days, but 23 days of the suspension have been stayed provided Palma is in compliance with the terms of a stipulated agreement with the California Horse Racing Board for a one-year probationary period through Aug. 28, 2017. Palma will serve his seven-day suspension from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2.

A Kentucky circuit judge has ordered the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to provide a “proper explanation” to former chief state steward John Veitch regarding how the commission apportioned three three-month suspensions to Veitch based on his actions in the 2010 Life At Ten case.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board approved a three-year racing calendar for the Southern California Thoroughbred circuit starting in 2017, with dates similar to the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

The racing board was presented with a proposed calendar by racing officials at a committee meeting on Monday. The full board approved the calendar on Thursday.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Handle at all California racetracks rose more 12 percent in July compared to the same month in 2015, according to statistics announced at Thursday’s California Horse Racing Board meeting.

The increase helped reduce the decline in handle for the year to slightly more than 2 percent. Through June, overall handle was down 4.6 percent for the year.

DEL MAR, Calif. - A small group of animal rights activists urged the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday to take further action to secure safer racing at Del Mar in light of a series of fatal injuries at the summer meeting.

Through Wednesday, 16 horses have been euthanized in racing or training incidents this summer. The meeting began on July 15. By comparison, there were nine fatalities at the 2015 summer meeting.

Jockey Barrington Harvey sustained a fractured right wrist when his mount, Woodacoudashouda, slipped and fell on the first turn in Saturday’s final race at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, Calif.

Harvey was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka where the injury was diagnosed. He will have surgery to repair it.

Harvey, 53, had won two races on Friday, opening day of the meet.

Jockey Jamie Theriot has been fined $500 by Del Mar stewards for standing up before the finish line aboard Holy Lute in the $84,535 Green Flash Handicap on Aug. 12.

Holy Lute finished fifth of eight in the five-furlong turf race and was beaten a head for fourth by No Silent. Holy Lute finished 2 1/4 lengths behind race winner Who Two.

Theriot, 37, is riding at Del Mar for the first time this summer. Through Thursday, he had won 6 of 49 starts. Theriot relocated to California from the Midwest this year.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Southern California racing officials have reached a tentative agreement for racing dates for three years and long-term offtrack stabling beginning in 2017, executives said on Thursday.

The proposal will be presented to the California Horse Racing Board for ratification at committee and board meetings in the coming days at Del Mar.

No agreement has been reached on racing dates for the Northern California Thoroughbred circuit, with negotiations likely to continue for another month or two, several officials said.

Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., is seeking an announcer for its meet that opens Sept. 10. The track announced the job opening Monday. Zia’s meet will run through Dec. 13.

Tom Harris had called the races at Zia. Interested parties can contact Fred Hutton, the director of racing at Zia.

Zia operates a mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

Handle is up, but revenue remains down about three months into Canterbury Park’s 2016 experiment with reduced takeout.

After 50 racing days, through the card last Sunday, Canterbury’s gross handle was $31,226,878, for a daily average of $624,538. Through the first 50 racing days in 2015, gross handle was $29,189,849, for a daily average of $583,796. Canterbury’s total handle is up 7 percent so far this meet, and handle from out of state has increased 10 percent compared with 2015.